


Difficult Experiences On The Road

by islandkate



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Fili and Kili are cousins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28322025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/islandkate/pseuds/islandkate
Summary: Two dwarf princes find peace as farmers.
Relationships: Fíli & Kíli (Tolkien), Fíli/Kíli (Tolkien)
Kudos: 4
Collections: GatheringFiKi - 12 Days Of Christmas 2020





	Difficult Experiences On The Road

Heirs of the fallen line of Durin, Princes Guillaume Filibert Frerinson and Ruairí Kilian Disarson had been smuggled out of Erebor during the last days of Thror’s reign. The scions of an ancient royal bloodline knew nothing of riches or royal life. They were barely more than toddlers when entrusted to loyal guards by their parents. The two boys grew up rough, on the run, in the company of strong and fierce men.

When the last of their guard died defending them not long after both had finally come of age, Guillaume, the elder, led his cousin to a safe location, as they had been taught, to make a plan. He found a cave in the side of a cliff with no scent of troll or animal. It was barely large enough for the two and their packs, probably the result of a rockfall. Thankfully, he had stonesense and heard the little haven call him. The climb to the niche was not easy. They were sure only dwarves and goats could manage it. That knowledge gave them a bit of relief, a lifetime on the run meant they never let down their guard completely.

Once inside, Ruairí began to assemble a meal. The weather was mild, so he eschewed a fire in favor of anonymity. The last attack had been less than a week past. There was no sense alerting any potential pursuers.

Guillaume inventoried their supplies. They still had a decent supply of gold, two changes of clothes each, serviceable overcoats for inclement weather, and their boots would last some time yet. The bedrolls were wearing thin, but they doubled up so they could make do a bit longer.

What they really needed was food. He cast a glance at the meal Ruairí had arranged. The last of their lembas, some dried meat, and berries he had somehow picked recently. Guillaume smiled. Only Ruairí would waste time on his cousin’s favorite fruit. Their waterskins were nearly full, having passed a small stream earlier in the day, so this was a feast by their standards.

Ruairí noticed the smile and bumped his shoulder into his cousin’s while displaying a dazzling smile of his own. He handed the largest berry over and wiped his fingers on his trousers before pointing to a spot on the map. “I have an idea.”

And so their relationship turned a corner. They decided to no longer be princes on the run. Their pursuers were looking for two haggard princes. They might not suspect two farmers living openly in the wilds near Ered Luin. They decided to use their family names openly. Only their closest kin might recognize them and they wouldn’t have to learn to respond to new names.

On the map where Guillaume, now Fíli, had kept immaculate notes for years, they traced a route from their current location deep in Ered Nimrais. They could shadow the Old South Road and The Greenway toward Bree. By the time they arrived, they would have trinkets and pelts to trade. They would need their gold to buy a farmstead.

Still wary, the two walked less like hunted animals and more like free dwarves every day. Kíli, as Ruairí was now called, had devised a system to collect and label seeds and fruits as they traveled. His careful notes and packets added credence to their story and would save them much in seed purchases. He even exchanged seeds and notes with farmers along the way.

“Fi!” Kíli jumped around a tree, bursting with excitement. Poor Fíli’s stream of relief went a bit wild. “That man said we should go to The Shire for the very best seeds and advice! Can we? Please?”

Fíli composed and secured himself before they started walking again. His golden curls were cut short to disguise them further. Kíli told him he looked very handsome with short hair. Unlike Kíli’s dark curlier hair that seemed to do as it pleased, freed from the effects of length, braids, and beads, Fíli’s curled gently close to his head and was happy to be swept into a neat style. Kíli always looked like they had been caught in a sudden windstorm. They both loved it.

Unused to denying each other anything reasonable in this new life, Fíli easily agreed to the detour. When they stopped to camp for the evening, he pulled out their map and they discussed options while a fat hare roasted, courtesy of Kíli’s archery.

“Look!” Kíli exclaimed. “The Shire is right on our way! We just turn onto The Old North Road from The Greenway, take care of our business in Bree, then follow this extension of the Great East Road right into The Shire!”

Caught up in his cousin’s excitement, Fíli almost missed the sound of two hoots like a barn owl followed by one like a brown owl. He used his leg to push dirt on the fire while rolling his body over Kíli’s and pushing the younger dwarf into the darkness behind him.

“Wait! Wait, please. I’m sorry.” A red haired dwarf stepped into the barely lit area near the fire. “I didn’t expect you to be quite so nervous. I was just letting my brother know it looked safe.” He hooted again, more softly. “Ori, come here.” A nervous looking dwarf wrapped in sweaters stepped out of the dark.

Fíli was in a crouch in front of Kíli, who held his bow nocked and ready in the space under Fíli’s arms that brandished his twin swords.

“Easy… I am Nori Durísarson. This is my brother, Ori. We are traveling and saw your camp. We hoped to join you. We did not come empty handed.” He waved his hand and Ori showed off a bunch of fish.

Kíli poked Fíli. “I love fish,” he whispered.

Fíli lowered his swords and stood. “My apologies. We’ve had some difficult experiences on the road that have made us a bit skittish.” He gave Kili a hand rising. “Fíli and Kíli, at your service.” They bowed together. No mention of relationship or last name was included. What they were, had been, or became was nobody’s business but their own.

Fíli soon had the fire roaring again and the fish joined the hare. Kíli admired Ori’s sweaters and received one as a gift for the unintended fright. Both brothers claimed that their older brother would be scandalized if they did nothing to make amends. In the end, the beautiful dark blue sweater joined Kíli’s best clothes deep in his pack with the seeds and notes. Fíli refused to accept another for himself. He did take first watch, sitting up into the night talking with Nori.

In the morning, Nori fed the fire enough to heat up the leftover hare. Ori produced some hardtack and coffee from his stash of endless surprises. But they didn’t stay. They were close enough to home that the temptation of fresh food was too strong to wait.

Nori and Kíli exchanged contact information as best they could, but Kíli was distracted and jumpy when Ori moved near the still sleeping Fíli.

“I’m just fixing the blanket,” Ori said, raising his hands up and away from the sleeping blond.

Once the brothers were gone, Kíli crawled in beside Fíli. He considered the best part of second watch his chance to warm up and harass Fíli at the same time.

“I was awake from the time you started rattling that coffee pot,” his companion mumbled.

“Still don’t like anyone messing with you,” Kíli grinned, “that’s my job.” Both huffed their laughter into the warm bubble trapped between their bodies and the blankets and Kíli sighed, “you’re extra warm this morning.”

Fíli raised his head to check the progress of breakfast and noticed the blue and white blanket draped over the almost threadbare ones from their own bedrolls. Ori was sneaky with his gifts. It was fine wool and a plaid design. As it was almost autumn, he planned to purchase something like it in Bree. He rubbed it gently, admiring the softness and warmth. In search of his own warmth, Kíli snuggled closer. Fíli rested his head in the mop of wild curls and wondered if they could really pull this off. He hated to admit how much Nori sneaking up on them had rattled him.

They had to figure out how to make it through the first winter and spring until the crops came in. He sighed. They had survived fifty years of running, they could manage one winter in a house, as long as they were together.

Somewhere between the Sarn Ford and Bree, they came across a beautiful white dog with ice blue eyes. It turned out to be deaf, but responded to Kíli well enough. The dog followed them all the way to Bree and walked into the Prancing Pony and their room like he owned the place. “I guess he needs a name,” Fíli said.

Kíli laughed, stomped his foot to get the dog’s attention and called him Floofer in Iglishmêk. The dog trotted around in a circle and sat proudly. “I forgot to tell you. He understands Iglishmêk.”

Fíli face palmed. Only Kíli would find and adopt a dog that understood a secret dwarf language in the wild.

Their business in Bree was short. They traded their pelts and trinkets, and even some of Kíli’s seeds, for gold. Fíli considered purchasing a dog cart. He brought Kíli to look at it. They discussed it over lunch. Kíli discussed it with Floofer. In the end, they made the decision as they always did, together. They bought a pony and a small cart. Floofer could run or ride as he felt. And they looked much more like farmers. They made a little nest of blankets, packs, and supplies in the back that kept them warm and snug each night. Floofer was an excellent heater.

The Shire was exactly the agricultural bonanza that the man who recommended it to Kíli said it was. Fíli gave up counting after the thirteenth farm visited. He reckoned that they weren’t going to have to buy any seed. And the hobbits were so kind that, once they explained the real story to the Thain, they were loaded up with enough supplies to make it through that first winter. They were also told to use the surname Took and tell anyone who had a problem with them to take it up with the Thain. Both princes were nearly in tears by the time the old gentleman was done. He assured them that their secret was safe. “Everyone should have family,” he said, “There are enough of us that no one will notice that you two are a little tall.” He laughed and the two young dwarves finally did cry. The Old Took distracted them with a story about an ancestor who was so tall that he could ride a real horse. Not a pony, a horse! Like a man or an elf! Imagine!

Too soon, the time came to leave The Shire. They promised to return after harvest the following year to tell of the results. It was nice to feel that they had a place to go back to if things went wrong. They really didn’t want to take the chance to stay and put the hobbits in danger though.

After several more months of traveling, they finally made it to Ered Luin. Rather than go into the mountains proper, they looked for property nearby where they might not encounter as many dwarves. Eventually they located a farmstead on the River Lhûn with a view of the mountains. They were absolutely sure when they saw the blue door knob that matched Floofer’s and Fíli’s eyes. Before the sale was even fully completed, Floofer came bounding out of their new woods carrying a stick twice as big as he was and dancing excitedly. They were home.

It only took two days to unload the wagon into the little white house near the shore. It took another two weeks to get everything organized. Fíli built a barn for their pony and the chickens while Kíli arranged and rearranged the house. They even mixed some blue paint up from a few crushed blueberries, a little vinegar, and just a sprinkle of wood ash for depth and texture.

Fili took the bowl of color and a brush outside to paint protective runes over the doors and windows. Kili cleaned and rearranged as an excuse to watch Fíli stretching up to reach over the windows. He stayed in the last window watching the blond’s bottom bob beautifully across the yard to the barn. Then he went to collect some cool water from the river.

Floofer accompanied him, enjoying a drink while Kili filled their bucket. The dog bounced and jumped, begging to play fetch, so Kíli indulged him. If the game gave him an excuse to watch Fíli paint, what harm was done. He was on the last barn door, it wouldn’t be long.

Despite the cool weather, Fíli was quite warm from his effort. They splashed some water into the wash basin and Kíli took the rest to the kitchen reservoir. They planned to build a water wheel to provide running water and power a grindstone. But for now, buckets from the river would have to make do.

A large chunk of ice caught Kíli’s attention and he fished it out before closing the cover. Holding it up to the light, he was amazed by its purity. ‘Perfect to keep Fíli’s drink cool!’ he thought. He dropped the chunk into a cup and filled it with water. He took a long drink, felt satisfied, and refilled it. Then he settled into a large chair near the fire to share it.

By Yule, everything was just right, and white. An overnight storm covered everything, as far as they could see, under a thick blanket of snow. Inside their cozy home, Fíli sat in his favorite chair, wrapped in the blue plaid blanket watching Kíli putter around in the blue sweater and some socks that he had proudly learned to knit himself. Presents were wrapped and lying beside the hearth where a warm fire burned. The whole house smelled of roasting venison.

There was a knock at the door. Kíli still jumped at surprises, but Fíli waved him off with a reassuring smile and shuffled to the door, with a sword under the blanket still wrapped around him. What he saw made him slam the door closed in shock.

Kíli ran over, hugged him, and opened the door when Fíli just pointed.

Their Uncle Thorin stood on the doorstep, eyebrows raised. “Nephews, I’ve come to talk to you about a quest.”


End file.
